The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1887-06-16
A Hat-Mark Romance.

ever. he encountered a gentleman who wa,
lci>urely descending before him. whipped hin
lpri>kly from his feet. and brought him down
10y his side to the pavement below. This uneX
pcctch Introduction was accompanied by !:
prompt Removal of their respective hats. Phil
ip's rolled down 10 the curh>tonc. and the >tran.
gers whirlc.l along the pavement to he stoppc,
and returned by an opportune boo!-back. For
tunately. no Lody damage was done to either
of the embarrassed young men, who instantly
picked themselves UP with mutually unncres-
>ary.apoogc>. Philip. perhaps had some r"iso,t
fctro a> he had been the aggressive party. but
the same haste to catch il train that had occa-
stoned the rendering of The apology made il
naturally Very brief. He barely took time to
assure himself that his fellow-vova@cr to the
sidewall. WAS not hurt. then clapped his hat on
his head and rushed onwar,! with the same
speed thai defeated itself Il few seconds pre-
NiolIS.
We state that Philip rlapl,cd his hat on hi,
Eoad, but the truth is he rlappc,i on a hat in
every WAY resembling it. yet a> unlike il rs {:
hat that W. haNc never Wuin j. unlike the hal
Of olir eyer, day wear. Philip lad not gone a
block when he realized that he had made Il
mi>tnk" and exchanged hats with the stranger
ing him 'ioW.i->tairs. 1t would seem that dc>-
tiny had l.ocn graiiitouSly unkind through
Philips unlncant agency to this inoticnsivc
MaYfarcr. and for no apparent reason but her
Own willful fancy. However il would proia-
hlN lr Useless 10 return to the scene of their
reneontrc, even if Philip had had time. 80 he
contcIt",l himself with examining the hat as
he sped up i'y the elevated 10 his train at Forty
second street and was Glad to find in il Il hat
mark. the Initials W. W. G.. neatly embroer-
ed in ha:,t Of dark garnet silk and ornannn Mt
ed with sprays of tlo>s->ilk vine. No one had
ever embroidered Il hallmark for Philip. and
the rightfnl owncrofth the appropriated head
covering became at once invested with sort of
romance in Philips mind. The lIat OF itself
was amy thing hut romantic hcii:y one Of thns,
hard, >!f 'irrhy> that seem L. have lrcn i'll
vented fer no other pnrpo>. !ian to rounri;tt'i
any possible .soo,l looks On the part of the nwncr.
Nv. W. {. Philip pnEdcrcl no. little over
these ";ihali>ir signs of feminine care and i'll
toro>l. He examined them 50 c.o>cly. indeed,
that. after tie manner Of ardent explorers he
made aE 'iloohed-for discovery. Under the
iiile >Iikcn band wa- tucked firmly Slip Of
folded paper. Thinking ii might contain. per
haps. the complement Of ih,' initials. Philip
opened and read il. \ great flush lH-,,d over
his face. and his heart quickenc'l with >ynl;.-
thy. on the paper was written these words.
in a delira'riy feminine hand:
VIII: il yod care To preserve thi, little souvenir
Nnil VII! som" time Know that love You, toe late,
perhaps. For happiness, but not t"o lttc for the
trih God grant that you may safely cross the
ocean and ci"ss back again To me.
That was all. Philips ardent soul thrilled
with tenderness :> h. rcNerrntly replaced the
little scrap of paper in il> hiuy- place and con
tinucd 10 look down at il like one in Il dream.
How could he put il on again with this sad Sc
crct lowering above his brain: II seemed Il
>acrcge thai he. stranger. should be crown
ed even temporarily with this "hurden of hon
or nl" Which he was not born OF course.
Necessity compelled him IL. Wear it until he
of those few Ncarnin. words gave him no
pcac:. ENon when he lad ceased to he cor
>ciou> of their actual proximity TO his curly
dark locks and was again bis own man. nj least
I" The extent of new derby. he WAS not rid of
their haunting spell. The advertisements he
purchased llalf-a-lozen hats. hut they brought
him fo sign nor token from the mis>n. oWll-
cr. and. a> time Worc on. the strangers hat
with lis pathetic secret lay hidden in a box in
Philips wardrobe and became Il thing Of the
past
Meanwhile fate. spinning her web of many
tissues. spun for Philip. among other things, !,
hallmark of his own. 1t was Very. very pretty,
and very. very precious. and Philip felt like Il
king, who is for the first time crowned with
his royal Inheritance. when he knew that he
was adjud.ed worth, To wear he favor of >icil-
thrilled him like Il concentration of electric
batteries. Fa1c'> name on this occasion. was
MNra Browne. She WAS fair and li%ht-hared.
with pretty gray eyes and soft independence
of mind and manner. Philip had fallen in love
with her at first sight. but she had only grown
hy slow degrees from Indifference to interest,
from interest to friendship, from friendship to
We'll. the next step is scarcely perccptible.
bat her iro@,rc>s eventually resulted in ylori-
ous attainment for Philip. He could hardly
trust himself 10 the contemplation Of his own
bis, when lie realized that the happiness of
this strong Vet delicate and impaS>ioncd soul
WAS given into his keeping.
II hrin" You the first real love of my heart.
she said. looking him through and through
with her clear sincere gray eyes. ''Always re-
mcmbrr this, Phip-thc first real love Of my
heart.
Philip stood abashed before purity of her
gaze, remembering how he had written poems
to this girl and that and pressed pretty hands
with a fervor that now rose up to accuse him.
lie sighed deeply, having in reality nothing
to sigh about but wholly unnecessary activity
of conscience, which is often worse than its pro-
portionate degree of lan@uOr.
Philip had been two years in possession of
th" mysterious. sccret-ladcn derby and five
months married before these circumstances
found any relation to each other. He was look
ing through his wardrobe one day, and came
ont to Myra with the hat in his hand. and. sit
history. Myra listened with her needle sus-
pended and her lips apart, her face palng and
flushed with warm womanly sympathy. Her
pretty eyes filled with tears rs she read the
little written scrap Philip placed in her hand
She went over it silently two or three times
with very sad, compassionate glance: then.
to Philips amaZemcnt. tore the paper into
>hrcds and threw them from her out of the
window. The wind lost no time in carryin.
them away.
''Myra" he looked almost wildly after the
living pieces. "What in the world induced vo,
to do that:''
at was the right thing 10 do, dear" she am
swercd. with 4uiyering lips. NO woman
should betray her heart in that way. If | even
could be tempted to forget pride and dignity
so fooli>hlv would be obliged to any one whe
would destroy the evidence of my folly
but Si.pposing | should find the owner-thc
person 10 whom that paper was ad'lressed:'
THAT isn't likclysnow. Philip; of course, il
you do find him you could tell him. But
Philip" looking earnestly at her husband. "il
! were you ! would never tell any one else
such things seem pretty and interesting: but
they are more than that. They belong to tn,
hearts deep experience, and we should moi
hold them lightly to talk of and smile at. No.
think the poor girl who wrote those impulSivt
words would be glad to know they are destroy
ed. Believe me. Philip smiling at him gently
women can Judge for women. have don'
| what is right
Philips answer was his usual one when
Myra looked particularly pretty, as she did jus
| now.
"lou are an angel" he said, afterward
land, of course you are right; but l am think
ing of the nlin'> side, don't you see! That mes
sage belonged to him. whoever, wherever ht
is. and would never think of stopping il on it,
| way. To my masculine view, it seems, dom
you know, little likc-likc robbing til,
| nails
"lt isn't like that at all, said Myra. i'm mild
ly argumcntative tone. 81 wouldn't do tha
myself. And besides. if the mails are going t,
| bring trouble to people they ought to be robbie,
the sooner the better
SO, my dear Sirl!" said Philip, laughing.
swell, of course!" rejoined Myra decidedly
but il is 50 hard to make men umdcrStan,
| things AS they are. Philipe'
''ies, my love-"
any one-any onc-about the scrap of writing.
unless you find the-the person fer whom i
was intended. want you to promise this fo
| the poor, foolish wOman's sake. Won't you
| dearest!'
| 81 promsc-for this poor, foolish woman
sake" said Philip looking down with raptur,
at her lifted eyes; and he was nearer to th,
truth than he knew:
One bright Sunday morning not long afte
| this, when there was cradle in the house, an,
in it little golden head, worth all the rest o
| the gold in the world. Il card was brought t,
| Mrs. NOrtIlam. 1t bore the name of Waite
| Carroll. She passed it to her husband with
| shade of annoyance on her face.
''Ah, this is your old friend, Carroll, l sup
posc-thc one you have spoken of so oftcny 2
he remarked pleasantly.
"ies. haven't heard that he was back fron
~.